The Cabin
by Stormshadow13
Summary: A fight between the angels over a cold winter's lake turns deadly when Krad falls in and nearly drowns. Rescued by Dark the two take shelter in an old cabin forgotten and lost high in the snow covered mountains.


The Cabin

By Stormshadow13

Disclaimer: I don't own the rights to DN Angel and am making no money off this story.

AN: Wow, I think that this story has taken me the longest time to write. I think that I started this story some time last September and am just now getting it done. I started it and then got writer's block and then I wrote some more and then I got writer's block again. I hope this is okay on the drama, I really tried but I'm not sure how it turned out. Enjoy.

(Daisuke to Dark)

((Dark to Daisuke))

/Satoshi to Krad/

//Krad to Satoshi//

_Personal thoughts _

xxx

Dark plummeted towards the ice covered surface of the lake his enraged counterpart hot on his heals. The Kaito pulled up at the last possible second skimming along the lakes surface. He turned his head at a startled squawk from his light self. He was just in time to see Krad furiously trying to back wing but the effort was futile because seconds later the blond hunter slammed into the ice with enough force to crack it and send the white angel plunging beneath the icy surface. Dark chuckled "Oh, that's not going to make him happy." The black angel twisted in the air and hovered watching the hole that his other half had created. Krad's head broke the surface and he attempted to lunge out of the frigid water scrabbling at the slick ice. Dark shook his head, (("He's never going to get out if he doesn't banish his wings."))

Daisuke blinked, ("why?")

(("His wings are waterlogged they are making him to heavy. The ice will brake under him,")) as if Dark's words had signaled the action the ice crumbled beneath the hunter sending him back beneath the surface. Dark sighed, (("as amusing as this is, he shouldn't stay in there to much longer the water is too cold even for a magical being."))

Krad's head came into the air again and he launched himself desperately at the edge of the ice once more. The blonds mind was screaming in panic and terror. The only thought running through the hunter's head was, Get _out! Get out! I have got to get out of here!_ If Dark would have been paying close attention to his opposite he'd have noticed the uncharacteristic actions of the blond angel as well as the white showing completely around the gold iris. _No! Not again!_ Krad once more desperately grabbed for the edge of the ice and once more fell back beneath the surface. His limbs were growing stiff from the cold water and his wings were just so much dead weight dragging him down. With the last of his strength he made one last attempt to extricate himself from the icy water but that attempt to failed and the flaxen haired demon vanished beneath the black surface of the icy winter lake. Krad struggled to breathe only succeeding in sucking in water. _So this is how it ends_, he thought detached as golden eyes close surrendering to his fate. He was truly going to die this time, Satoshi was the last of the Hikaris he had no more host, _you have finally won, my other half._

Dark glanced up from the struggles of his counterpart as the light seemed to dim around him. Thick heavy black storm clouds were beginning to cover the moon. He frowned from the look of the clouds the storm rolling in was going to be a bad one, he and his host should start for home soon.

`Uh Dark," Daisuke's voice broke through the Kaito's thoughts. ("I don't hear any splashing anymore.")

Dark blinked and quickly glanced back down at the lake searching for his other half. His alarm started to grow when he saw no sign of curse or tamer. He dropped down hovering closer to the hole half expecting Krad to lunge up and try to grab him but when no such thing happened, the Kaito's alarm skyrocketed. "Krad! You bastard get out here!" Purple eyes scanned the whole area of the lake but there was still no sign of anything living.

Daisuke hesitated, ("Dark, could he have gotten out and flown off?")

Dark shook his head on the edge of panic, (("No, we would have seen him his wings are to waterlogged he wouldn't have been able to fly that fast."))

("You don't think...") began Daisuke paling in horror.

Dark felt his heart stop for a second, (("SHIT!")) He commanded Wiz to release him and dropped into the lake after his other self. The Kaito gasp at the shock of the cold as the black water closed over his head. The cold almost immediately began to stiffen and suck the strength from his limbs but the thief ignored that and stroked powerfully for the bottom seeking any sign of another body. He finally reached the bottom of the lake and began to feel around. His fingers brushed against something and he desperately grabbed a hold of it pulling a body close and kicking for the surface of the lake. Dark's head broke the surface of the lake and he quickly glanced at what he'd dragged up with him, it indeed was his other half but the blond was still and unresponsive in his grip showing no signs of life. He didn't like it not at all but he had to get them both out of the water before he could see what he could do for the blond. "Wiz! I need you," he called to his familiar.

`Kyuuuuu," the fluffy rabbet like creature changed into a copy of Dark and with the aid of the Kaito pulled his master and the hunter from the frigid water.

Dark wanted nothing more then to just lay there on the ice but the desire to check on his opposite won over the alluring pull of the cold to curl up and sleep just for a little while. He quickly sat up and placed his hand over the blonds' mouth and nose, the Kaito felt his heart sink when he felt no warm breath against his hand. He then placed two fingers in the hollow of the hunter's throat checking for a heart beat; the thief felt his heart sink even lower when he felt none. _Shitshitshitshitshitshitshit!_ He rolled Krad on to his stomach and placed his hands on the blonds' wings. Murmuring a quick incantation he banished the feathery appendages before placing both hands on the hunter's back and began to push forcing water from the white angel's lungs.

The thief watched as water slowly trickled from Krad's mouth and nose but there was still no sign of life. He rolled his counterpart back over on to his back. _God, I hope I'm not too late._ The Kaito struggled to remember if he pushed five or seven times then breathe for CPR.

("It's five,") murmured Daisuke softly.

The Kaito shot his host a thankful look before he placed his hands on the blonds' chest and started. "1, 2, 3, 4, 5," he leaned over pinching the blonds' nose closed as he breathed into his mouth. Then he started all over, "1, 2, 3, 4, 5, breathe, 1, 2, come on, 5, breathe, 1, 2, 3, come on you bastard breathe! 3, 4, damn it Krad don't you leave me! Breathe, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, breathe." He kept pumping and breathing for what seemed like an eternity. He never noticed the snow flakes that started to fall peacefully from the sky.

("Dark,") began Daisuke softly, ("I don't think...")

Dark cut his host off, (("No! I'm not giving up!")) He breathed once more into the blonds' mouth. (("He's not going to die! Not like this!"))

Daisuke sniffed, ("Dark, it's already too late, they're gone.")

"No!" Dark shook his head in denial, "he can't be dead! He just can't be!" The thief stared down at the unresponsive form of the hunter taking in the: too pale skin almost the same white as his clothing, the faint tinge of blue to the lips and the closed golden eyes. He clinched his fist, "damn you Krad! You son of a bitch! You bastard!" He slammed his fists down on to the blonds' chest inadvertently forcing more water from the other angel's lungs. Dark stared at the water and then went back to the CPR, "Come on! Come on!" He breathed one last time into the hunter's mouth and as he pulled away the chest beneath his hands rose as his counterpart drew in a shallow ragged breath. Purple eyes widened as the thief pressed his ear to the others chest he heard a faint but now steady heart beat.

The Kaito sat up with a smile, "he's alive!" Only then did he notice the snow falling from the sky it seemed to be getting thicker and heavier with each passing second. Then Dark noticed that he was shivering badly and that his efforts would be for not if he didn't find both of them some kind of shelter. _Oh yes that would be great, save my other half from drowning only to have the both of us freeze in a blizzard._ He got to his feet and summoned Wiz, and then he carefully picked up the unconscious hunter flying towards a cabin he'd noticed during the earlier fight with Krad. He didn't make the best landing of his career due to the added weight of the blond and the fierce wind that had started up during the flight.

For him the great Kaito Dark Mousy the sorry little lock on the door of the cabin was only a job of a few seconds in spite of having his arms full of Hikari hunter. He got the door open and was quite literally shoved in by the wind. Dark quickly kicked the door closed with a foot and took a look around there haven. The cabin looked as though no one had set foot in it in years; everything was covered in a fine lair of dust. The cabin looked to be warmed only by a fireplace rather then central heating. Dark stooped and laid his counterpart on the floor in front of the fireplace. He turned rummaging around the cabin looking for things that would burn as well as for blankets. It took him a few minutes to find enough wood to start a fire and by the time he did Krad was shivering violently.

Dark piled the wood into the fireplace and used a touch of magic to start the fire roaring. He then piled a few old rugs before the now blazing fire and laid his opposite's still form on them. He hesitated for a moment then reached for the belt about the blonds' waist and unbuckled it, tossing the peace of leather over his shoulder and then sending the mantle the same way as the belt.

("Moo, Dark! What are you doing!") Squawked Daisuke, who'd been quiet up until that moment.

Dark rolled his eyes, (("Honestly Dai-Chan what's it look like."

("But why are you taking his clothes off!")

(("Because I have too."))

("But-but-but,") stammered the red-head face turning the same color as his hair.

Dark mentally smacked his forehead, (("Dai-Chan, his clothes are soaked, covered in ice and he'll never warm up with them on."))

("But he's, your, we're.")

(("If you don't like it Dai just go to sleep. After all your not the one who's going to cuddle with him."))

("What!")

(("I'm cold, he's cold, I'd like to get warm. The best way to do this is to share body heat, I also don't want to go hypothermic."))

Daisuke sighed and retreated to the back of their shared mind, ("just don't do anything funny.")

Dark frowned fumbling with the buttons on his other half's coat. (("Hey, what's that supposed to mean!?")) His frown deepened when he got no answer from his host. Soon the coat, shirt, pants, boots and other articles of the blonds' clothing joined the belt and mantle in a cold soggy heap in the corner. Dark then piled all the blankets he'd found on top of the shivering blond before quickly stripping himself and sliding under the blankets too. He pulled his counterpart to his chest rubbing hands over the other's icy skin trying to stimulate blood flow and warmth. the Thief hugged his light self closer and fought the pull of sleep, sleep was probably not the best thing at the moment.

Time slowly pass, Dark's shivers died down after a while and he finally felt somewhat warm. His concern for the blond hunter however was still great, the other angel's skin was no longer icy to the touch but the blonds' shivers hadn't reseeded. This wasn't good, as if to punctuate the Kaito's worried thoughts Krad started to cough. The blond burrowed against his other self seeking more warmth as coughs continued to shake his slender frame. The thief rubbed soothing circles on the hunter's back he really didn't know what else he could do. He needed to take his counterpart to a doctor but there were a lot of problems with that. Like if Krad suddenly changed back into Satoshi that would take a lot of explaining. Maybe once the storm had calmed down he could take the blond back to the Niwa's, Emiko would know what to do but until the storm stopped he was on his own.

Dark sighed, he probably should get up and see if there were any old canned goods left over from the last time the cabin had been occupied; his counterpart could use something warm in his stomach even if that warm something was just heated water. He finally sighed and wormed his way from beneath the pile of blankets tucking them tightly once more about the hunter's body. However he did take one blanket to wrap around himself while he searched for food, no point in freezing while he looked. The thief quickly discovered an old pot, a cracked mug and a bent spoon in a cabinet as well as some other things that were quite useless to him. He then found a number of cans covered in dust but other then that they looked just fine. Canned goods could last for millennia, Right? He sure hoped so because he really didn't want to end up poisoning the both of them, that would be quite unfortunate.

Dark dug through the cans taking a quick inventory: "2 cans of corn, 3 cans of green beans, 7 cans of whole white potatoes, 3 cans of baked beans, and so on. Finally in the very back of the cabinet he found 4 cans of chicken noodle soup and an unopened bottle of whiskey. The thief pulled the soup out and using magic he opened one can and dumped the soup into the pan. Gleefully he carried the pan back over to the fire and began to heat their meal. Once he judged that the soup was warm enough the Kaito quickly ate the noodles and poured the broth into the mug for his counterpart.

The Kaito slipped back beneath the blankets pulling his opposite into his lap. He then pressed the mug to the blonds' lips whispering into the hunter's ear coaxing him to drink. The thief gently stroked his fingers down the pale throat stimulating the urge to swallow. He was careful to make sure that Krad didn't choke on the warm broth but the process of getting it down the hunter's throat was time consuming. Dark's arm wrapped around his other half's body as the blond once more started to cough. "I really need to get you to Emiko." The demon's eyes remained closed as he coughed even harder. Dark winced in sympathy those coughs sounded like they really hurt. _I hope he's not getting pneumonia,_ thought the Kaito worriedly. He once more laid back down stroking blond hair. Hours passed while a black angel watched over his angel of light.

Krad was aware of warmth and a soothing hand gently running through his hair. He wondered idly if he was dead. No, he couldn't be, because each breath he took was burning torture... breath? Dead people didn't breathe, what had happened? He remembered fighting with his other half. Black water, the lake, cold so cold. Now though, he was warm, the gentle hand had moved from his hair to his back rubbing soothingly over his skin. Skin? He shouldn't feel skin against skin. What was going on? Why wasn't he dead at the bottom of an icy lake? Golden eyes cracked open and he couldn't restrain the soft moan that escaped his lips.

"Oh, you're finally awake! I was getting really worried." Dark hugged his counterpart closer in relief.

Golden eyes blinked, "Mousy?"

"The one and only."

"Why?"

"Why what?"

"Why did you save me?"

Dark frowned, considering the question. "I really don't know. Just when I didn't see you come out of the water; something inside me panicked. Then when I pulled you from the water, you were so still and cold. I don't know, I felt like my heart was being torn out of my chest."

Krad gave his counterpart a confused look. "I don't understand. I have been trying to kill you for over four hundred years but yet when the opportunity comes to be rid of me you instead save my life."

"It wouldn't be as much fun if you weren't around to chase me," said Dark with a grin.

Krad gave his opposite a look that plainly said, _I don't believe you for one minute_ but the blond dropped the subject and buried his head against the Kaito's chest as he started to cough once more.

Dark began to run his fingers through soft golden hair. Projecting soothing relaxation.

Krad unconsciously responded to the relaxing aura of his counterpart. All his hatred and anger of his thieving self was momentarily forgotten in the chaotic turmoil of his mind. _Why had the thief really saved him? Could his opposite have been telling the truth? Why was he worried about him, the enemy? Why was the thief still here? Why hadn't he just left after Krad had woken up? Why was he taking care of him. Why, why, why?_

Once the hunter's coughs had died down Dark slipped from beneath the blankets.

"Where are you going?"

"I'm going to make us something to eat." Dark quickly walked over grabbing two cans of soup before he returned back to his counterpart and the warm fire. The Kaito opened the cans once more with magic and dumped the contents into the pot holding it over the fire.

"Why are you doing that?"

The black angel glanced at the blond, "because you need something hot to warm you and I'm hungry."

"Hungry?" Krad blinked in surprise, "we do not need to eat."

Dark shrugged, "I like food." He pulled the now warm soup from the fire and pored half of the

pot's contents into the mug holding it out to his other half.

Krad hesitantly took the offered food and sipped gingerly at the warm liquid. He watch his other half practically inhale his food. Golden brows drew together, "I do not see how you did not just choke on that."

Dark smirked, "it's a talent."

The blond sighed taking another drink of the soup. His other self was confusing him to no end today, first he saved him, then took care of him and now he was joking with him. He just didn't understand the purple-haired twit. The hunter quietly drained the mug of the warm contents.

Dark watched the blond to make sure that he finished all of the soup. He frowned when he noticed that the white angel was still shivering slightly. "Hmm," He hopped to his feet, trotted over to the cupboard ignoring the confused golden eyes that followed him and stooped rummaging around. "Ah ha!" He pulled his head from the cabinet and walked back over to the hunter holding out a bottle.

Krad stared at the bottle suddenly suspicious, "what's that?"

"Whiskey, it will warm you up." Dark sighed at the suspicious look remained in place on his opposite's face. He unscrewed the lid and took a swallow of the potent liquor. "See, it won't hurt you."

Krad took the once more offered bottle and sniffed delicately at the top. His nose wrinkled in disgust, "it smells bad."

Dark rolled his eyes, "Yeah, yeah just drink it."

The blond tentatively took a small sip and coughed as liquid fire slid down his throat to settle in his stomach. The Kaito had been right it did warm him from the inside out. He took another more healthy swallow of the fire water.

"Hey, hey, slow down on that stuff." Dark deftly plucked the bottle from his other half's grip. "You don't want to drink too much, this is pretty potent."

Before Krad could say anything to this he doubled over coughing. The blond struggled trying to breathe in between coughs: his lungs burned and his chest hurt.

Dark knelt supporting the hunter until the coughing finally ended leaving his opposite gasping for breath.

"Damn, I need to get you to a doctor or maybe Emiko." Dark pushed against his counterpart's shoulder trying to get him to lay back down. "We'll wait until the storm is ended and then I'll take you to get some help. I really don't like the sound of those coughs."

Krad struggled against his other half's grip but in the end he found himself once more laying down. He was just to weak to fight against the other angel. "No, I don't need a doctor and going to that Niwa woman is completely out of the question."

"Huh?" Dark frowned, "why not to Emiko?"

Krad gave his opposite a look, "because she hates the Hikaris and would most likely murder me in my sleep." Then silently in his head, _not to mention she's also scarier then hell._

AN: Yes folks, Krad the homicidal blond, the terror of the Hikaris, the demonic angel, the hunter of light is scared of a mortal woman.

Dark raised an amused eyebrow, "You're not scared of Emiko are you?"

Krad huffed and rolled over on his side pulling the blankets up to his chin, "don't be stupid. I just don't see the point of going anywhere when I am perfectly capable of healing myself." He closed his eyes and relaxed summoning his magic around himself in a healing blanket.

Dark watched the other angel slip into a healing trance and smiled. For Krad to go into trance with him still so close was some unconscious sign of trust on the part of the blond. Dark right now could easily cut his counterpart's throat and the hunter would be defenseless to stop him. He carefully moved back over to the blankets and slid in wrapping his arms around the other angel's waist. Dark silently admired the way that Krad's magic rippled over the blonds' skin. It made him look like he was laying in the sunlight. The Kaito closed his eyes and drifted into a peaceful sleep.

The Thief was awakened a few hours later when he felt the blond wriggling in his grip. He opened one sleepy purple eye and regarded the other angel. "What...?"

"The storm is over and we need to go," Krad twisted managing to extricate himself from the Kaito's death-grip. He rose a bit unsteadily to his feet and stepped over to where the black angel had tossed his clothes earlier.

Dark sat up just in time to have his shirt tossed onto his head, "hey, watch it." He pulled on the shirt and stood up joining his counterpart in sorting out their clothing. "So," he glanced at the white angel, "I guess after we leave this cabin we are back to being enemies."

The blond paused for a second before he pulled on one of his boots, "I guess so, unless you want to stop stealing the Hikari artworks."

"Not going to happen," Dark shook his head, "stealing them is my job."

Krad sighed, "and protecting them is my job, it is a never ending cycle." He turned finished dressing and walked over to the door pulling it open to reveal a star filled winter sky.

Dark hesitated then hurried across the cabin grabbing his other half's sleeve. "Krad?" gold eyes turned to regard him. The Kaito paused for a second wanting to ask the question but at the same time afraid of the other's answer. He finally opened his mouth, "do you still hate me?"

The blond froze staring at him for a minute before gold eyes closed and the hunter pulled his sleeve gently from the thief's grip. "I really don't know what I feel any more," the light half of the Black Wings turned and leapt into the sky leaving his counterpart standing in the cabin's doorway.


End file.
